MSAFIRI ZAWOSE

MSAFIRI ZAWOSE

Tanzania

Traditional Gogo – Afro Fusion

Tanzania

Traditional Gogo – Afro Fusion

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Msafiri Zawose is an internationally renowned musician from Tanzania, recognized for his dedication to preserving and furthering Gogo musical traditions.

This traditional music derives its distinctive sound from the mixture of a variety of unique instruments and vocal harmonies indigenous to the Wagogo, an ethnic group that historically inhabited central Tanzania. Msafiri is a master of traditional Gogo instruments such as the limba (thumb piano), filimbi (flute), zeze (bowed/plucked lute), ngoma (hand drums), and marimba (xylophone).

Although he was born into a family that deeply honors tradition, Msafiri has developed his own individual style, fusing traditional Gogo music with a variety of contemporary influences.

Performing solo or leading a larger ensemble, Msafiri has toured extensively throughout the world, developing a remarkable live act that effortlessly switches from deeply moving to joyously uplifting.

All the hard work recently got rewarded, as Msafiri was a co-winner of the Beyond Music Project, a social networking platform and musical collaboration project. This led him to record with Beyond Music Artistic Director and multiple Grammy Award-winning producer Larry Klein in France in April 2019.